


Shopping Trip

by Jace_Architecht



Category: Magic: The Gathering
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-13
Updated: 2017-12-13
Packaged: 2019-02-14 09:01:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13004349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jace_Architecht/pseuds/Jace_Architecht
Summary: Ral had been leaning on Jace heavily for a while now, dealing with Izzet grievances is not always the easiest nowadays. Ral wants to pay him back, by taking him shopping! (Yikes bad summary)





	1. Gel

**Author's Note:**

> (This first chapter is short as hell, they'll get longer I promise, this is just kind of a filler start yikes)

Jace was begrudgingly walking through town with Ral Zarek of all people, trying to keep himself composed and not let on how frustrated he was.  
He grumbled to himself and tried to ignore the man leading him. Ral was wearing his “Casual Attire”, though it really wasn’t that different from his usual. He still wore his gauntlet with all the tubes and crazy, extravagant outfits. But his hair wasn’t combed to perfection like usual. It struck Jace as odd that that would be the thing Ral doesn’t keep up with on his weekends. He would’ve assumed that maybe he took off his gear for once. Or something to that effect. Does he even own a pair of sweatpants? Or a shirt that doesn’t look like it came from the top Selesnya designers? The lightning mage looks back at him, giving off his trademark smirk.  
“You gonna keep up? I’d rather not lose the Guildpact in the middle of town.” Ral remarks. A small laugh punctuates his sentence.  
Jace didn’t respond but he sped up to show he wasn’t falling behind. Ral seemed pleased with this response and returned to staring ahead. His face flushed a light pink. He couldn’t believe he was caught staring. Jace had pulled his hood up to keep the sun from his eyes and also to cover his face. It also made it easier to look at Ral as they walked. He couldn’t place why he had found ‘what Ral did on weekends’ so incredibly interesting. Jace looked to his hair again. It was frizzy and standing up everytime he gave off a small jolt. He couldn’t help but laugh when he thought about how much gel Ral must use to keep it down. Jace strode to be side-by-side with Ral. Ral turned his head and raised his eyebrow at him.  
“How much do you spend on hair gel every month?” Jace smirked, still chuckling at the thought of Ral Zarek trying to do his hair every morning.


	2. The Robe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to get back into writing. I have no idea if they seem OOC? Let me know, I need those sweet critiques? :3c  
> Also I hate this formatting??

Jace had been, for once, leading Ral Zarek through the tenth district on a shopping mission. Ral had insisted on buying him something from a ‘nerd shop’ as he had put it. They had ended up running into various stores as Ral found something in the window he wanted to inquire about. At this moment, Ral had dragged Jace into an Izzet mage shop. Ral looked like a man on a mission as he tore through various fabrics and jewels. Jace attempted to apologize to the shop owners but they just waved him off, stating “It’s a regular sunday.” He assumed it was normal for the lightning mage to come in, working on a new outfit or costume. Ral eventually settled and pulled something from the other side of the store and brought it to him. Jace had already picked out a few things to try on. Ral had the biggest smile on his face as he pushed the long fabric into Jace’s arms.   
“Here-here, I think you’ll like this!” He pulled it back, away from Jace’s grasp. Ral lined the robe-he could see it now- up against the blues he was already wearing. The mage’s robe was red, and lined with runes in gorgeous golds and pinks. It was one-hundred percent an Izzet garment. That much was very obvious.   
"Looks good on you," Ral said, then smirked and said," Just surprised me since you're such a square."   


Jace defensively retorted," I'm not a square."

“Sure, you’re not.” Ral said back, ruffling his hair.  
Jace swatted at his hands and took a step away from him. He grumbled and set his hair straight. Jace straightened up and attempted to look Ral in the face. It wasn’t quite...optimal, given that Jace was a lot shorter than Ral, but he tried. Ral gave him an amused look. It felt...strange, looking at him like this. Given that all other conversations they had ever had were spoken half across a room, and usually one was doing something else. Something more important. But now, it felt like everything about the other was more important. There wasn’t work in the way, or any other person to stop them from fighting. At least, they usually fought. Ral outside of work seemed way different than Ral inside work. 

  
Jace slouched back to his regular position and suddenly felt as though his cloak was too heavy. He’d never felt that. His cloak was weighted, warm and comforting. He’d never felt the need to take it off. Often, he felt uncomfortable not wearing it. He even slept in the thing, for rain’s sake.   
As if the rainmaker could read the mind mage’s thoughts, Ral remarked, “Is that thing comfortable? You look like you’re dying.” Gesturing to his cloak. 

  
“I’m fine.” Jace spoke, maybe a bit too aggressively. He felt Ral’s mental activity spike, and he wanted desperately to look and see what he was thinking. He thought maybe just a peek wouldn’t hurt. Jace looked into Ral’s mind, just a little brush of magic to brain matter. He got spikes of adoration, fondness, but also annoyance and frustration. He felt that maybe he’d reminded Ral of something-someone. A memory. Maybe. He wasn’t able to get a good look at the Guildmage’s thoughts. Suddenly, he snapped out of his magic and felt Ral’s hand on his shoulder. He blinked and saw Ral holding the robe folded over one arm. The warmth of his hand seeped through Jace’s cloak .

  
“Yo- Guildpact? Did I break you?” Ral’s voice finally came to his ears. He seemed amused. Jace was surprised that he hadn't felt Jace's mental prodding. Jace blinked slowly and looked down, away from Ral.

>     “Fine. I’m fine, Ral.” Jace wasn't sure he sounded convincing. Jace considered putting up an illusion to make Ral drop it, but he doubted that it would fool him.

    “You're lying to me.” Ral softened his voice. Jace was surprised at this turn in character. He wasn't sure what to say. “What's going on?” He said, after a moment of silence. Ral tightened his grip on his shoulder. 

  
“It’s...just warm.” Jace mumbles.

  
“Take off your damn cape, Beleren.  It’s a ninety degree, sunny day.” Ral waved his hand, finally removing it from Jace’s shoulder. He shuddered at the loss of warmth, even though he was already hot.   
“Since when do you call me ‘Beleren’?” Jace attempted to change the subject, he fiddled with the seam on one end of his cloak. He felt the air getting awkward. “I thought you refused to call me anything other than ‘Guildpact’.” Jace chuckled at that, and looked up. His head tilted slightly to the left, and his hair fell into his eyes. 

  
Ral skipped a beat, leaning back on his heels. He actually, for once, didn’t know what to say to that. 

  
Jace stepped closer to him, looking up. “When did we become friends?”


	3. Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lotssss of dialog ;^)

Jace stepped closer to him, looking up. “When did we become friends?”   
  
Ral regained his composure. He shrugged. The sound of metal scraping against metal hung in the air. He smirked, like he’d just gotten an idea. “I ask you a question, you ask me a question?”  
  
“What are we, 12?” Jace rolled his eyes.  
  
“Why do you wear the cloak?” Ral started, ignoring his protest. He paid for the robe and Jace’s other things he’d chosen. Ral started walking, and Jace followed, more out of habit than actual interest.   
  
“It’s...old. I’ve had it for years. It’s a comfort item. I never take it off. I bought it at a place far away from here.” Jace started talking. He wasn’t sure what, or even if, Ral knew about planeswalkers, and decided to leave that little bit out. He fell into step next to Ral.   
  
Ral made a noise of understanding. “You don’t have to take it off, I’m sorry I pressed you earlier. I didn’t know.” He smiled. “I hope you’re okay without trying on the robe I got you. I think you would look good in red.”   
  
Jace looked over at him with a lopsided grin. “I trust you know your fashion. Everyone I’ve ever known says that I have the worst tastes.” Jace leads them toward his home. “Why do you always wear the-” He gestures to the mizzium coated metal that he wears everyday. “Gear?”  
  
Ral looked forward again, sighing in contemplation. “I’m a lightning mage. I control storms, we both know this. I…” He pauses, running a hand through his frizzy hair. Little sparks come off of his hands as he touches it. “I have a lot of excess. It’s just how my powers work. I can’t really ever control them. These are different electricity dampeners that keep me from...killing anyone I touch.” He turns a knob on his belt. It makes small clicking sounds and he shocks Jace lightly. Jace jumps, giving him a frustrated glare. He can’t contain his amusement though.   
  
“So you're just super over powered?”   
  
“Sure, we'll go with that.” Ral chuckles. “So you can control your mind abilities right?” 

“For the most part, rarely, if I'm in danger it'll kick in.” He looks away. “I've run more than I've fought.”  
  
“How did you run?"  
  
Jace sputters. How does he explain Planeswalking? “I...um…”  
  
“Oh, you too?” Ral just states, he gives him a knowing glance and then looks away.   
  
Jace stops, and turns. “You?” He was internally freaking out. His other interactions with planeswalkers have been hit/miss. If they liked him, they were good friends. If they didn’t, they tried to kill him. Or wipe his memory. Or both.   
  
“So where are you from?” Ral asked. Jace still didn’t understand how he was so chill about this. Maybe he was just being paranoid. Yeah. Paranoid. They continued walking. Jace lead them toward his library of a home.   
  
“A plane called Vryn. I...don’t remember much about it.” Jace sounded choked up. He doesn’t like talking about Vryn. It was only a horrific time when he was used as nothing but a pawn for the bidding of others. And before that? Bullied for being ‘weird’. Once he hit his spark and walked away, he had no problem moving on. That, and he lost all his memory when he woke up on his current home-plane: Ravnica. He’d only recovered what he knew now after years of personal digging and planeswalking. “How about you?” Jace lead the dialog back to Ral. He hoped maybe they’ll move onto something more lighthearted.   
  
Ral doesn’t speak for a moment. “I’m actually from Ravnica.” He fiddled with the dials on his belt. “ See, no one here really understands what we are. Not even Niv-Mizzet. I’ve kept it from him for a long time.”   
  
Jace doesn’t respond, he just walks. The little pat pat pat of their feet on the cobblestone is the only sound accompanying them. Jace’s footsteps are quiet, just a small footfall. As they walk, the mages drift slightly closer together. Their shoulders almost touch. Suddenly, a large droplet of water falls onto Jace’s nose. He looks up, and sees the storm approaching. He turned his head to look at Ral, who seemed to not notice the rain. 


	4. Storm

He turned his head to look at Ral, who seemed to not notice the storm.   
“Did you do that?” Jace asked, nodding toward the sky.  
  
Ral looks at him for a moment before looking up, “Nope. We should speed up.” He grabs Jace’s hand and starts running. Jace is shocked, literally and figuratively. He assumed that the storm messes with his dampeners. He didn’t have much time to think before he was yanked behind Ral.  
  
“Do you even know where you’re going?” Jace yelled after him, as the rain picks up. They’re running so fast, his hood fell down. Ral appeared to not have heard him. Jace just let him lead. He thought about what had happened that day and looked back with a fondness. He honestly had never expected to be thinking of _Ral Zarek_ fondly. The infamous, cocky, snarky, asshole, that had great hair. And honestly, Jace could admit, he was very attractive. He would never say this out loud, obviously. It would just feed his ego. He felt Ral’s mind reaching out to him once again. He was lucky enough to not be caught the first time he peeked. He used his telepathy to speak to him instead.   
  
_‘Hey Ral. You realized we passed my house already, right?’  
_ _  
_ Ral stopped suddenly, skidding against the cobblestone. “You can do that?” He looked frightened. “Were you in my head?” Ral was mildly freaking out. If Jace could hear his thoughts then he’d know-   
  
“Don’t worry, you just didn’t hear me earlier when I tried to talk to you. I didn’t look.” He felt bad that Ral didn’t trust him. But who would trust him? Illusionists and mind mages were sort of built on deceit and lies. He vowed that he would never do anything like that. Now of course, he has had to lie and create illusions to avoid being arrested.   
  
Ral looked like he was concentrating. “Can we do that more? Talk like that?” He liked having the other mage so close. It’s strange, for him to admit something like that. Given that he’d really never tried to get close to anyone before.  
  
Jace gave him a strange look, but complied anyway. His blank expression switched to a small smile, directed entirely at Ral. Ral smiled back.   
_‘Sure, if you’re comfortable with that.’  
_ _  
_ They stood there for a moment, before Jace shook his head and remembered they were standing in the rain. __‘ We’re close to my home. We can hang around there for a while if you’d like.’ Jace smiled and took his hand this time. They moved at a much more relaxed pace, now that Jace was leading them. Ral wasn’t expecting Jace to grab his hand as he lead them, though he couldn’t say he wanted to complain. Jace’s hands were smooth and cold, seeming on point for the blue-aligned man. Jace wasn’t sure exactly as to why he held onto Ral’s hand, but his warm skin and firm grip felt comforting to him. Their fingers intertwined,  and both males cracked a small smile. They received glances and a few full out stares, but it’s not everyday the Guildpact and a highly respected guildmage walk through town square holding hands in the rain. As they approached Jace’s small home, Ral looked around.   
  
“This is your house? I thought it was a library?” He started as Jace unlocked the door with a wave of his hand. It opened without him touching it.   
  
“It was, a library, I mean. I bought it from the old couple who owned it and turned it into my home. It was the only place that had enough build in shelving for my books.” He laughed lightly, using his powers to put up various books and papers that littered the floor. The building had a lower level  of entirely shelves, with a desk and a few chairs in a corner. All of the shelving was full of old tombs, interesting books about different worlds. Hell, most of these probably came from other Planes. Ral stepped in, looking around with awe. Jace popped up behind him and took the bag of their bought things. It stayed relatively dry. Jace suddenly disappeared and left Ral alone in the front room of his house.  
  
Ral spent his time running his fingers over worn books and looking at the ornate paintings Jace kept around. Not all of them were hung on a wall, some were just leaned against furniture or walls. The upper level was a cozy loft, with a bed and wardrobe. Ral took note that it was insanely messy, unlike the downstairs, which was clean to the point of obsessive. He couldn’t find a spec dust on any of these books. There were a few back rooms, Ral assumed there was a kitchen, a bathroom, maybe a closet. He wasn’t sure which door was which, so he didn’t touch any of them. He sat down in one of the chairs with a particularly interesting book. He opened it, only to be disappointed, as it was written in a strange language that he did not understand. He put it back on the shelf where he got it, and decided to just wait for Jace. 


	5. Ral Zarek Short Circuts

Eventually, a backdoor opened. Jace stepped out, wearing the red mage’s robe that Ral had bought him. It was long, barely scraping the floor. He wore black sweatpants underneath. It went well with the comfortable robe, that was obviously more like pajamas than anything else. The gold danced with mana, and intricate designs moved on the fabric. Jace felt slightly uncomfortable and exposed, because he wasn’t wearing his cloak. He knew that it was dumb, but he missed the weighted comfort. He tried to roll up the sleeves, but they were more bell shaped then sleeve shaped, so they tried to ball up instead. He waved his arms to straighten them out. Ral had been watching him since the second he walked out, and he gave him a giant smile. He wasn’t expecting Jace to even give the robe he bought him another glace, but here he was, wearing it. He even took off his cloak for it? Ral was honestly taken aback. He wasn’t sure how to respond. He was quite literally short-circuiting.   
  
Jace spun, delighting in the way the robe bellowed out around him. It was quite a bit longer in the back than in the front, and closed in the front with a string. He seemed to not have noticed that Ral was watching him. Jace was nervous, because it didn’t matter how much extra clothing he wore, his scars showed around his neck and on his arms. He rubbed a particularly large scar on his left arm and walked through his shelves to the main area. “Hey Ral?” He called out, unaware that Ral was already looking at him. Ral didn’t respond for a moment, he was too awestruck.  
  
“See? I was right! You look amazing” He stood up and took Jace’s hands in his. “I knew you would look good in red.” He remarks, looking down into Jace’s eyes. Jace was shocked by the sudden proximity. Most likely literally and figuratively. Ral had returned to a wonderful and calm smile, and it was Jace’s turn to look surprised. Ral couldn’t tell you what had taken over him, but he wanted nothing more then to be here, holding Jace’s hands. It was wonderful and warm. He wasn’t used to feeling warm. Or having someone so close to him.   
  
Jace blinked, his head tilted slightly back so he could look into Ral’s face. He looked confused. Ral pulled away, apologetic, he thought maybe he had made Jace uncomfortable. Jace held his hands firm, not allowing him to get away.   
  
They stared for another few moments. Jace tilted his head further, gesturing to Ral. Ral seemed to get the gist of what Jace was insinuating without him having to spell it out. He leaned his head down, pressing their lips together carefully. Jace leaned into the kiss almost immediately. It felt like months of buildup were leading to his moment. Ral pulled away first. Their hands were still intertwined. The pair stood there for who knows how long, breathing the same air. Ral was the first to speak, he let out a breathy laugh and mumbled, “When did we become boyfriends?”   
  
Jace pulled their hands up to their chests between them. “I guess...just now?” He looked down at their hands, gently squeezing Ral’s as a test. It was a weird feeling. He hadn’t been close to anyone since Lilliana. After her, he swore to never let anyone get close like this again. But here was Ral, the pompous, ignorant, and painfully suave guildmage that Jace couldn’t deny his feelings for any longer.   
  
“Would you kill me if you took off your gear?” Jace questioned, softly. Ral wasn’t sure why he was asking at a time like this.  
  
“If...I got riled up, I could shock you on accident. Why?” He spoke, matter-of-factly. He didn’t want to sugar coat it. Ral could never tell what was on Jace’s mind, though he guessed that’s how mind mages kind of worked. Jace leaned his head on Ral’s chest, dropping their hands down to their sides. He seemed disappointed.  
  
"No reason."  


End file.
